North Mountain Blade 250222 Kaiken Linerlock Knife

The North Mountain Blade Kaiken has a 3.5-inch SLD-Magic San Mai blade, a black G10 handle, an extended tang, a lanyard hole and a pocket clip, closing to 4.25 inches, with a molded storage case.

San Mai is a laminated construction, a hard cutting core forged between two softer outer layers. The core takes and holds the edge while the outers absorb shock and protect it from cracking, which is how Japanese blades have been built for centuries. SLD-Magic is the core, a Hitachi tool steel known for holding an edge well while staying tougher than most steels at the same hardness.

The kaiken was a small Japanese dagger carried inside a kimono sleeve, and the name here points to the slim profile rather than the original shape. The extended tang is a tab past the pivot pushed with the thumb, so nothing protrudes from the blade to catch in a pocket. Explore more Gentleman Linerlocks.

• San Mai laminate: hard core between softer outer layers
• SLD-Magic core holds an edge while staying tough
• 3.5-inch blade, 4.25 inches closed
• Extended tang with a molded storage case